When performing catheterisation procedures, such as angiography or angioplasty, a catheter is generally introduced into the vascular system by first penetrating the skin, underlying tissues and blood vessel with a sharpened hollow needle. Next, a guidewire is commonly inserted through the lumen of the hollow needle and is caused to enter the selected blood vessel. Subsequently the needle is typically stripped off the guidewire and the combination of a dilator and/or introducer are fed over the guidewire and pushed through the skin to enter the blood vessel. The guidewire can then be removed and the desired catheter to carry out the procedure is fed through the lumen of the introducer and advanced through the vascular system until the working end of the catheter is appropriately positioned. Following the conclusion of the catheterisation procedure the working catheter will be withdrawn and subsequently the dilator and/or introducer will also be removed from the wound. Following this procedure the vessel puncture must be closed in order to prevent loss of blood through the puncture hole.
Typically the wound is closed by maintaining external pressure over the vessel until the puncture naturally seals. This procedure can take approximately 30 minutes with the length of time usually being greater if the patient is hypertensive or anticoagulated. The procedure can also be uncomfortable for the patient and involves costly professional time on the part of the hospital staff. Other pressure techniques such as pressure bandages, sand bags or clamps have been employed but these also involve ensuring the patient remains motionless for the extended period of time and is monitored to ensure the effectiveness of the procedure.
Therefore there is a need for a device which will close and seal the arterial puncture quickly and easily allowing the patient to become mobile within a short period of time, thereby increasing the throughput of patients in the catheterisation lab and increasing the availability of hospital staff for other duties.